Lamivudine and High-dose Interferon-alpha Combination Therapy for Naive Children With Chronic Hepatitis B Infection

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J Clin Gastroenterol. 2005 Jan;39(1):68-70.

Lamivudine and High-dose Interferon-alpha Combination Therapy for Naive

Children With Chronic Hepatitis B Infection.

Saltk-Temizel IN, Kocak N, Demir H.

From the Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of

Pediatrics, Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Ankara,

Turkey.

BACKGROUND:: More than half of the children with chronic hepatitis B

infection are nonresponders to interferon-alpha. The aim of this study was

to investigate the efficacy of lamivudine and interferon-alpha combination

therapy after a 3-month lamivudine induction in children with chronic

hepatitis B. STUDY:: Twenty naive children were given lamivudine (4 mg/kg

per day; maximum, 100 mg) alone for 3 months; then interferon-alpha (10

MU/m, thrice weekly) was added to lamivudine for 6 months. After

interferon-alpha was stopped, lamivudine alone was continued for 6 months.

Therapy was stopped 6 months after HBeAg seroconversion. Every 3 months, HBV

markers were studied and virologic response was defined as HBV DNA

negativity, and HBeAg loss with AntiHBe seroconversion. RESULTS:: At the end

of 15 months, virologic response was achieved in 11 (55%) of patients and 12

patients (60%) cleared hepatitis B e antigen. Therapy was well tolerated.

CONCLUSION:: Preliminary results of our study seem to indicate that

lamivudine and high-dose interferon-alpha combination therapy after a

3-month lamivudine induction may represent an effective treatment option for

children with chronic hepatitis B.

PMID: 15599215 [PubMed - in process]